This is a video of a SoftBank Pepper humanoid robot working at one of the company's smartphone stores and offering a customer coffee while she waits. The robot, which appears virtually useless, then proceeds to chat it up while the lady makes her own coffee. How practical.

The humanoid remembers customers' faces and their preference of coffee for during their next visits to the stores. SoftBank has begun a trial service that will run through Aug 2 and is considering the full-scale robo café service, aimed at entertaining smartphone buyers while waiting.

The simulated customer selected the amount and thickness of coffee using the touch screen of Pepper. While the coffee is brewed, the customers can also register him as friends with the humanoid. The robot can recognize different human faces with a system developed by Microsoft. The system is capable of detecting 27 spots on a human face.

Alternatively, hire another employee instead of a robot so customers don't have to wait to buy a smartphone. That's what I'd do. But what do I know? I'm only a successful business man whose earnings and business savviness puts Mark Cuban's to shame. "You have a garage full of unsold talking sex toys." This Christmas's must-have stocking stuffer -- you watch.

Keep going for the video demonstration.

Thanks to vishal, who agrees a robot that can't add cream and sugar to a coffee is no barista.

I used to manage a cellphone store. Unfortunately, store traffic can be unpredictable. Is it smarter to have 4 people sitting around for hours making no sales hoping for a rush? The line between overstaffing and understaffing is a thin one.

Jenness

"Alternatively, hire another employee instead of a robot so customers don't have to wait to buy a smartphone." I agree 100% GW

Gingerbread

The guy in the back is clearly trying to get a sideboob pic and doesn't give a sh*t about the robot